You might notice some things looking a bit different on the site. Wednesday night we pushed out the following changes:

HOME PAGE: NOW FEATURING CHANNELS & GROUPS!

The header says it all, so let us know about users who deserve some YouTube love here.

SUBSCRIBE TO FAVORITES

Found a YouTuber who’s got impeccable taste? Now you can subscribe to their favorite videos to get a direct dose of curated content.

CATEGORIES: THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION

The evolution of each topic center continues with more features and videos. Now we are highlighting channels here too, so tell us who you are and why you should be featured. Expect these to evolve even more in the coming months!

CHANNEL COSMETICS

You can set a transparency level for all the modules on your channel page from 50-95% in the My Account section. You’ll also notice that channel browse pages have a new way of displaying their wares: there’s the channel icon and some stats, with a larger thumbnail of the most recent video.

I'm in love. As usual, I was browsing the site trying to source videos and channels for my different editorial areas. I was having some trouble finding content that really stuck out. I guess the saying is that you need to "go through the thorns to get to the roses." It was then I happened upon a channel that made me smile, laugh, and send the link to all my friends and co-workers. I instantly fell head over heels. The object of my affection is... faintstarlite. I don't think I've experienced such earnestness protruding from someone. Her smile and voice draw you in and make you feel an instant connection. I think she could talk about the different ways to cook a potato and it would still pique my interest. The subject here is an argument I've had with my friends plenty of times. As a deep thinker, I continually ask myself these "life questions," and I appreciate her perspective. Please enjoy this video and let it lead you to discover more of her commentary; it really is great stuff. In the end, I still lean towards ignorance is bliss, especially because Miss Faintstarlite has a boyfriend! :-)

Weird? Odd? Strange? Genius. I've been listening to The Knife for a while now, and I love them more and more. The way this Swedish sibling duo layers beats never disappoints -- a little electro mixed with...who the hell knows. All I know is that it makes me want to dance. Whenever I really like a group I'm always worried about their video. Will it be as good as the song? Will it bring out another theme I never thought of? Will the visuals push the envelope the same way the music does? Usually, and unfortunately, the answer is no. But in this case the answer is yes. The "We Share Our Mother's Health" video is just as addictive, mysterious and fun as the song. But my favorite aspect of this video? The fact that my mother found this on my channel and told me that she really liked it. Yes, that's right, my mother. So that either makes her the coolest mother in the world or this the coolest video. Truthfully (even though I love this video), I think it's the former.

Nalts might have way more subscribers and videos, but let’s not forget his other half, WifeofNalts. She’s sassy, spunky, expertly coiffed, and has a sense of humor that rivals her husband’s. I just love how vlogging is a family affair in the Nalty household and how they make raising four kids actually look fun. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to tell her happy 40th!

My obsession with periurban continues with this sweet video of a trip he took to the Royal Scottish Museum with his daughter, Lily. You can tell this is precious time between father and daughter, and it’s touching how much they seem to enjoy each other’s company. I remember trips to the museum with my dad, only my sister and I weren’t as accommodating as Lily. We moaned and groaned that it was “bor-ing,” but our dad did everything he could to keep us engaged, even offering bribes, like five cents for every mustache we could find in a painting. I now know that that time together was worth more than a million mustaches. Lily’s lucky she has a record of these days.

So I'm a Mac girl all the way. My first computer had an apple on it, and so will my last. Nothing beats playing Oregon Trail on the Apple IIe. It's who I was. It's who I am. It's who I'll always be. Is it logical? Not necessarily, but I'm OK with that. So sometimes it's hard for me to admit when Microsoft does something right. For the launch of Vista, Microsoft made a little ad campaign concoction of magic. Take two cups of the wry comedy of Demetri Martin, add 2 1/2 tablespoons of music from Film School, and mix it all together in the De Young Museum in San Francisco, and there you have it: something that makes you smile. This Clearification series has some of the driest humor I've ever chuckled to, and the short animated clips of Demetri are priceless. I'm still an Apple girl, but now I just have a tad more respect for Microsoft. P.S. Steve Jobs, if you're reading this please don't hate me.

What the Buck? This is the type of commentary that makes your cringe and say ouch, especially if you're the subject. By the way, Tyra, it's been nothing but love since the days of Higher Learning so please don't take it personally that I've made this my pick of the week! We all love satire and this gent satisfies that desire with a polished look and demeanor that says he's headed somewhere...like Hollywood.

A good mashup on YouTube is like postmodern art for the video generation. This one has gained some real traction: it takes a quote by Senator Ted Stevens, who, when asked a question about the internet last year, referred to it as a "series of tubes." The 84-year-old senior senator from Alaska probably deserves a break -- the Internet is, after all, dependent on miles of fiber optic cable -- but his response was clumsy enough to draw attention in the press and on YouTube. This mashup by 13tongimp and DJ Paul Holcomb from The Bold Headed Broadcast is part fantasia and part music video... and very funny. Though Stevens hasn't posted any video responses, I feel like it’s something he could have a good laugh at...

Many of you already know the esteemed Damien Estreich, the man behind the YouTube news vlog YourTubeNEWS. Damien’s been a fixture ’round our virtual lives for some time now. He’s been in touch nonstop with great product suggestions, feature video tips, and community issues big and small. We couldn’t even calculate how many hours (days, weeks!) Damien has already invested into building the YouTube community and making it a happier place. Frankly, it’s scary how much time he spends online – I don’t think the man has seen the sunshine in months.

We thought it was time to make Damien official, and this week marks his second as a YouTube employee. He's our "Community Advocate," and before your face morphs into a blank stare, I'll explain: think of Damien as the YouTube Concierge, offering personal service to the most dedicated users (ie, the ones reading this blog!). Damien will champion your issues and concerns; if he can't personally help, he'll bubble them up to the folks who can. He's yet another set of eyes and ears out there, listening to what you're saying and making sure that the YouTube team responds ever more quickly to the community. Damien will continue to produce YourTubeNews (with plans to revamp the vlog to be more “real and personal”) and report on the movers and shakers in the YouTube universe. See him here and/or write to him directly at estreich@youtube.com.

Ah, the weekends. They're supposed to be the days of the week to relax but instead I get less sleep than at any other time. I mean come on -- there are just too many good bars, DJs, and friends that keep me up all night. After staying up until 4am, it's customary to sleep away the morning but I just can't do that. I'm up at 8 or 9 getting the day started. (I might not be my most coherent self, but I'm up.) I get my Philz Turkish coffee, go home, and listen to "This American Life" on NPR. Ira Glass's weekly show gives you a glimpse into the lives of people all over this country that you will probably never meet. He takes one topic and attempts to explore it from different angles to get the broadest view possible. Well, Ira packed up his Chicago home and moved to New York to take This American Life to television; quite a bold move for a show that's a staple of American radio. One of the best parts of the show is the fact that you are only listening to the stories these people tell and can have a connection without knowing what they look like. I'm going to miss just hearing the stories. Then again, it might be nice to put a face to the name.

Man o' man, when I heard this parody of Rich Boy's "Throw some D's," I couldn't stop it from playing over and over again in my head. Pete Rosenberg is gangster for this. In fact, I'm scared to play it -- my friends and family can't take another week of me singing "I just bought a sandwich, throw some cheese on it..." Check out the original song first so that you can get a fair understanding of the parody.

Set anything to periurban’s “So, It's a Love Song” and I’m gonna sigh and swoon until I hyperventilate. SergeLipski put together a video that perfectly matches the song’s melancholy spirit. A rose is constructed from petals and joins other flowers in a bouquet. But hang on -- those roses are dead! A few seconds later, a note declares that there’s no hope and a wedding band appears as the final goodbye. It is so sad. And that’s why I like it.

I love juxtapositions of seemingly disparate things: sweet and tough, innocent and crude, brainy and bimbo-y. So when I saw BrickLaneBetty’s combo of books and boobs, I just knew I had to staff pick it. (Speaking of books, how cool would it be to have a YouTube book club? Write to me if you’re interested. It’s something I’ve been thinking about starting for a while…) Between the cleavage, the distracted cameraman, and some weird stuff happening on the laptop in the background (what the heck is that?), it takes a heroic effort to absorb what Super Amanda’s saying about the books, but she does leave you with a catchphrase worth repeating: “Dickens – a good idea!”

So I have to admit, winter in California is nothing to complain about. I don't want to rub it in, but it's pretty fantastic compared to other places in the States. Coming from Chicago, where the winters are brutal, it's a welcome change. But even with its great weather and landscape, I still can't let go of the fact that Chicago is the best city in the world. I could make a list of all the great things about that city but that could take hours...and it still wouldn't to it justice. But I did find a video that takes a snapshot of Chicago and captures the city perfectly. Owen's video shows the beautiful Chicago that emerges after living there for years. Throughout the harsh winters and suffocating summers you find your comrades in arms and fight the elements together. After the battles are won, the city becomes this amazing playground where you watch everything in your world grow. And every once in a while you have one of those days where you can relax and enjoy the city with the people who have made it your home.

It took me 3,000 miles to get from Minnesota to California to start working here at YouTube, and what better way to remember the road trip than by whipping out the ol' video camera. This video shows a few clips from my trip west, as well as some footage inside YouTube HQ during my first week here.

I'll be working as YouTube's News & Politics Editor and couldn't have arrived at a better time – we just launched "You Choose 08", a central hub of channels created by Presidential candidates for 2008. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the campaigns, and make your own response videos to what these Presidential hopefuls are saying… This is your chance to interact directly with the candidates and tell them exactly what you think.

We've got a lot to come before November '08. Soon I'll be launching the YouTube political blog in which I'll be highlighting must-seevideos from candidates and users, and offering my own spin on the election as it unfolds on YouTube.

I want to hear from you about the issues affecting us all (not just Americans), so send me your thoughts and videos. We want to see a lot more citizen journalism on YouTube, so get your cameras rolling and start documenting what's happening in your world. I'll be looking for the best pieces to feature in the News & Politics section, in my blog, and on the YouTube home page.